Pulse of the People for Nov. 16, 2013

It has become increasingly clear that the political system in this country is not working effectively.

A New York Times and CBS poll from 2011 found that 84 percent of Americans disapprove of Congress. On her retirement from the U.S. Senate, Olympia Snow said that the Senate is not living up to its purpose to be the “greatest deliberative body in history.” She talked about the dysfunction and political polarization that exists today. In New York State and in Troy, there are still problems of politics and partisanship getting in the way of good policy.

It is time to reinstitute a call to citizen politics and to provide opportunities for everyday citizens to be engaged in making a difference in their community.

Thanks to a grant from the Louis and Hortense Ruben Community Fellows Program, this is becoming a reality for the city of Troy.

The program is sponsoring a series of public deliberations at various locations throughout the city starting this November and lasting through the summer. Public deliberation provides a format in which citizens engage in moderated discussions leading to clear directions for public policy or public problem solving. The program being sponsored by the Ruben Foundation will lead to a series of local discussions about the future of the city of Troy. Residents who want to see a non-partisan, citizen-based plan for the city of Troy are encouraged to subscribe to a blog at www.buildingastrongertroy.org.

The blog will show when a public deliberation is coming to their neighborhood or finding one that meets their schedule. They can also use the site to sign up to participate in one of the deliberations.

The results from these smaller deliberations will lead to a city-wide public deliberation to take place next fall.

To learn more, please call me at Hudson Valley Community College at 629-4738 or visit the blog listed above.

Peter Sawyer

Professor, Hudson Valley Community College

Troy

Thanksgiving in

all things is good

The Psalmist exhorts us to “offer to God thanksgiving and pay your vows to the Most High.” (50:14). He looks not for the observance of some ritual but for a genuine expression of appreciation for all that He has done, the Lord Jesus is again our example.

Four times in the Gospels we read that He gave thanks.

When He recognized His rejection by the cities in which He had worked so many miracles, He said, “I thank you Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and the prudent and have revealed them to babes. Even so, Father, for it seemed good in Your sight. (Mt. 11:25-26).

Before feeding the 5,000, “Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the Disciples (Jn. 6:211). At the graveside of Lazarus, the Lord Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank you for You have heard Me (Jn. 11:41).

And then in the Upper Room, “He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them... (Lk. 22:19).”

Let us heed the exhortion of William Yuille when he exhorts us to “Let us then not simply celebrate Thanksgiving as an empty tradition but come before the Lord continually in humility, obedience and genuine thanksgiving.”

For this is what God desires of us all, He desires humility, He desires obedience and last but not least, He desires thanksgiving. Doing this we again heed the instructions of St. Paul to the Hebrews when he wrote to them, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name (13:14).”

To say thank you to others for what we receive, or do for people, is mannerly, to thank Our Lord for the great and wondrous things He has done for us “whereof we are glad.”

Here are some of them. God’s unspeakable gift-2 Cor. 9:15; Victory over Satan and Sin-2 Cor. 2:14; Thanks for food-Acts 27:35; In every prayer-Phil. 4:6; Our Lord gave thanks-1 Cor. 11:24; Paul gave thanks-Phil. 4. Hear what He said in Eph. 5:20, “Giving thanks always for all things, unto God, in the name of Lord Jesus.” Can we give thanks for all things? Job did.

Afflictions are for sanctification and blessing, “Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth... (Heb. 12:6-11).”